How much do I exercise my goat? Do I use a track dog? What about a treadmill? Should I exercise my goat?
All valid questions.
1–If it is a wether, then he needs short, hard sprints. You want them built more like a running back as opposed to a Kenyan marathon runner. Short, hard bursts–100-150 yards–TOPS! Show does need some exercise in order to harden them. I recommend running a doe a 100 yards at least twice a week.
2–We have never used a track dog. Why? Because I can’t stand the thought of a dog that sits in a pen all day, crapping 12 pound piles, just waiting for the 15 minutes it gets out to chase a goat in a circle. If we had 8-12 wethers on feed, then we would have to utilize a dog to exercise goats. A good dog is expensive, hard to find and takes a lot of management. When used properly, a track dog is a valuable tool. When not used properly, your best goat will need stitches, a splint or a burial hole. Dogs are for adults to use, not kids.
3–A treadmill works good on sheep. Not so good on goats. I gave ours away years ago. Running on a treadmill does not give the natural adrenaline burst. Plus, you can cause more pastern problems. I wouldn’t recommend a treadmill for goats. Backwards or forwards.
4–By all means, a wether goat MUST be exercised. Sprinting helps build muscle, ups their metabolism, burns fat and gives a goat a shot of adrenaline. Each person needs to figure out their exercise plan. Remember, short, hard sprints; not marathons.
Our exercise program consists of a 4 wheeler, a Duke and a corgi. Duke rides the 4 wheeler down the road and parks it. He gets a goat out on the chain and walks it to the 4 wheeler. He turns the goat loose, jumps on the 4 wheeler and chases the wether back to the pen. The corgi barks the whole time the 4 wheeler is running. The wether runs back to its pen lilke a spotted ass zebra. Repeat process until all 3 wethers have been ran. Then feed.
How fast is a spotted ass zebra? They are so fast that you have never seen one. All you have seen is the slower striped ass zebras like the kind a lion eats on nature channels.
